World History
The history of Palidovas is a long one, much of which is long forgotten or lost to time and other tragic events. These unknown portions of history are split from the rest in help create a sense of wonder and curiosity It is suggest that players don’t read the unknown section, as it may serve some function to the campaign or may be replaced with other information. Timeline Well Known/Current History This section provides information about the present day world and what is widely known of the planet’s history by it’s current residents. This information is to help provide context. Palidovas is a world of darkness and has been for the past 20-30 thousand years. In this time, the Dovasi have developed into a fully fledged intelligent race. They originated as a subterranean species, living in caves and mostly underground, though as time passed, large groups ventured out of their caves to search for more resources. these groups had been using basic tools for some time, crudely fashioned weapons and clothing to protect them from the cold and predators. At first, they were largely nomadic tribes, but as time passed, technology was advanced with the help of magic. Magic at this time was still largely misunderstood and terrifying to many, but it was also something that everyone could use and while it’s effects were many and sometimes terrible, its use was commonly accepted. Magic is not a rare thing and everyone understands that it exists, though they may not know its inner workings. Many of these groups settled down, some very recently, laying claim to certain parts of the land and settling boundaries. Some groups, partly due to isolation and partly due to their values, have remained in more tribal forms, but others are growing city states and nations. These cultures are varied and scattered, but they all show some reverence toward the moons of the planet. Most cultures know that some other intelligent species of builders and inventors preceded them. These Predecessors, as they are called, have vanished completely, leaving behind ancient crumbling ruins and some other man made relics and texts, weathered over the centuries. Unknown/Ancient History This section contains information about the more ancient and unknown history of Palidovas and its Predecessors. It may contain potential spoilers and generally provides a more static ancient history to the world. Use as you see fit. There XXX, the dwarf star of the system, wasn’t always a dwarf. It used to be a thriving, vibrant light and heat source for Palidovas and its moons. There was another race, known as the Predecessors that inhabited the planet. Their ancient history and culture is still very much a mystery. Their golden age was also the last age of their civilization. They pushed the boundaries of magic, constantly seeking to learn more and grasp more power for themselves. Around the same time, many researchers came to the conclusion that there was something blocking them from attaining all the power they sought, some sort of barrier holding back all of the magic and letting only a sliver through. Many were determined to find a way to remove this barrier and finally, one individual thought they stumbled upon the solution. It is unknown exactly how they did this, but it is assumed they reverse engineered some form of barrier magic and used this to tear down the barrier. The scale of this project is unknown, but it must have been enormous, perhaps world wide and it is unknown how long it might have taken to achieve. When it was completed however, not only was the barrier successfully removed, and magic cascaded into the world, but the sun became a dwarf star. It has been proposed that is barrier may have been an illusion, a sort of false wall that implied there was a sun, when really it was always a dwarf star. The true nature of this barrier is unknown. With the lack of sunlight and its warmth much of the life on the planet begins to die off. The planet becomes suddenly much colder especially around the pole. This breaking of the barrier pulled the planet into an elliptical orbit around the sun, where it is usually far away and occasionally closer. When it moves closer to the sun, as it was when the barrier was removed, violent earthquakes shake the entire planet, as if there is some connection between the world and the old star. This initial destruction and earthquakes, along with the sudden release of magic into the world, killed off some creatures immediately. Others were changed by the magic in strange ways. Some species, including the Predecessors, died off more slowly. Common food sources were lost as well as many new magical creatures posing a threat. The Predecessor’s civilization fractured and many people were lost in the quakes. Those that were left tried to repopulate, but their numbers were too few and this resulted in some inbreeding. Still others attempted to fall back on their magical experimentation to find a way to sustain themselves, but this option failed on a large scale and in most other cases as well. Where once there were oceans, the water was evaporated or lost. Earthquakes shifted much of the planet. The focal point of the barrier removal resulted in a cataclysmic hole in the earth. Another section of earth was pulled up into a large raised cliff with overhangs. Due to the darkness and inhospitable surface, many species evolved from underground or deep in the remaining water. Most have developed very good low light vision and even night vision, while meaning they are more sensitive to light. It is in this world that the Dovasi began to evolve.